NEW VIDEOS ADDED! Team Associated has finally made it official. The SC10 4×4 has been unveiled. While this 4WD short course truck has been highly anticipated, most people suspected a vehicle based on Associated’s 1/10-scale B44.1 4WD buggy or possible a smaller version of the 1/8-scale SC8 short course truck. Many Associated fans have even created homespun versions by using a RC8 chassis plate with a SC8. Contrary to all of the speculation, Associated has pulled the cover a whole new design for a whole new platform. The SC10 4×4 is not what anyone expected. Check it out:

KEY FEATURES:Belt DriveAssociated designed the SC10 4×4 around a lightweight, low-drag belt driven system. The belt itself is thick and durable, measuring 5mm wide with 211 teeth. Due to the layout, the belt drives the front drivetrain only, while a standard 3-gear gearbox drives the rear end. Associaed states the belt drive works delivers explosive acceleration and yields a compact chassis layout, and reduced drivetrain friction. The belt also allows it to use 32-pitch gears with large teeth.

Decoupled SlipperThe unique “decoupled slipper” uses an internal thrust bearing assembly to allow the truck to feel like it has a slipper and center differential. There is no center differential. The top shaft connects the slipper unit to the front drive belt and the rear gearbox. The decoupled slipper allows the front and rear tires to slip independently, offering increased traction and stability. Without this feature, the slipper would slip and cause all four wheels to lose drive power.

Front ClickerInstead of a standard front differential, Associated went with a front one-way “clicker” installed between the drive belt and front diff. When loosened for high-traction tracks, the clicker locks up under acceleration but freewheels and clicks loudly off power (giving it its name), effectively giving the truck a front one-way with rear-only braking. Lock the “clicker” down, and you have full-time four-wheel drive and four-wheel braking.

3-Piece ChassisOnly two screw heads are visible on the underside of the chassis, and all of the components mount to the top of the chassis. Associated calls its new three-piece molded tub chassis a “low CG and low polar moment design.” As the chassis pieces wear, you can replace each section individually. When assembled, the chassis forms a near glass-smooth bottom surface that will glide over ruts and bumps. The SC10 4×4 is easy to work on. For example, only four screws hold the radio tray in place, with two additional screws capturing the receiver box lid.

Durability MeasuresAssociated designed the SC10 4×4 from the ground up to handle abuse. Thick suspension arms, heavy-duty rod ends, 3mm hingepins, and large 32-pitch gears make fore a heavyduty platform. The inner camber-link ball studs pass through the shock tower mounts and thread into metal inserts below. The SC10 4×4 took nearly two years to design and produce; according to designers Kurt Wenger and Jason Corl, they began design in April of 2009. Each piece was designed by hand in-house and tested in SoCal.

Over-sized ShocksLarge 13mm shocks are used for durability and for a smooth suspension. The shocks may be built pressurized with bladders or emulsion style, and a lower seal cartridge with snap-in limiters allow you to fine-tune without dumping out all of the shock fluid.

Metric HardwareAssociated went with all metric fasteners. The majority of the screws and bolts use a 2.5mm hex-head wrench (others use 2mm). This reduces the number of wrenches needed. Associated also reduced the number of different screw lengths.